An official of the US Energy Information Administration would still be able to operate until October 11 despite a government shutdown. EIA Oil Supply Analyst Mike Conner gave the statement on Monday before an impasse on the funding for the Affordable Care Act finally caused the partial shutdown of federal operations. Conner said employees of the EIA were told about the operational timeline late on Monday.

According to a Reuters report, the operations of the EIA in the event of a shutdown posed a concern for energy markets. The EIA publishes oil and natural gas inventory data on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Meanwhile, the shutdown had already prevented the US Bureau of Labor Statistics from producing its national monthly employment report. According to a Dallas News report, those who were supposed to make the report were part of the 800,000 employees of the federal government that were placed on furlough. The report emphasized that government data was vital for business owners, politicians and Wall Street strategists as it would enable them to track the economy and determine their strategies.